Former Fluminense defender Leandro has left the club after only four months following threats of violence from fans angry about his below-par performances.

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"They phoned me, threatening, saying they would beat me up," Leandro told TV Globo, going on to allege a club insider could have been involved.

"They called my home number and only a few people have it, so for me it's someone from inside," said Leandro, who signed on loan from Porto in January but left in April and now plays for Vitoria.

A former Fluminense hardcore fan interviewed on the same programme but not identified said fans often follow players from training to see what they do in their leisure time.

Weeks after Leandro left Fluminense, security guards fired shots into the air to disperse a crowd of about 30 fans who interrupted a practice to complain about a defeat and attacked one of the players.

Fluminense, last year's Copa Libertadores runners-up and trained by former Brazil coach Carlos Alberto Parreira, are 18th in the standings with 10 points from 10 matches after Sunday's 1-0 home defeat by Santo Andre.